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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to identify three areas for improvement in nurse-pharmacist communications.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to discuss conflict resolution styles used by nurses and pharmacists.
Background & Significance: Effective communication is critical to patient safety. The Institute of Medicine report “To Err is Human” reported that 7,000 deaths occurred annually because of medication errors. For medication administration, pharmacists verify the medications and the nurse is responsible for administration. While research has explored the nurse-physician relationship, no study has been conducted assessing the communication practices between pharmacists and nurses in the hospital setting.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument from existing literature to assess the relationship of nurses and pharmacists. Research questions include: 1) What similarities and differences do the nurse and pharmacist possess in terms of communication and conflict resolution? 2) What factors influence the relationship and communication between pharmacists and nurses? 3) How often do nurses and pharmacists communicate?
Methods: A modified version of the ICU Nurse-Physician Questionnaire was sent to registered pharmacists in the state of North Carolina through a listserv obtained from North Carolina's Board of Pharmacy and to nurses through Durham Veteran’s Administration Medical Center, UNC- Chapel Hill’s School of Nursing alumni newsletter, and other listservs. Data was analyzed using statistical software SPSS with independent t-tests.
Results & Discussion: While hospital nurse and pharmacist relationships are generally viewed as positive by nurses and pharmacists, there are still areas for improvement and interventions that can be taken, such as increased in person communication opportunities between nurses and pharmacists. Future research should include the development of interventions to improve collaboration and communication between these two professions.